YEREVAN—Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan has come under heavy criticism following remarks made during a press briefing on February 11.
Simonyan accused the Armenians of Artsakh of failing to resist Azerbaijan’s aggression in the September 2023 attack. “You left because it was unsafe. You could have stayed and fought until the end but you chose to leave,” he said. He claimed that Artsakh’s people should have defended themselves “with the weapons that the Republic of Armenia had provided in full,” implying that they bore responsibility for their own defense.
Simonyan’s remarks about the struggle of the people of Artsakh, as well as his choice of terminology when referring to the region, have sparked significant controversy within Armenia and among Artsakh’s displaced population.
During the press briefing session, Artsakh journalist Anna Mekunts asked Simonyan when she and other displaced people would be able to return to their homeland. Simonyan responded, “When it is safe.” When Mekunts pressed him further, inquiring about why he continues to refer to the region as “Karabakh” instead of its official Armenian name, “Artsakh,” Simonyan sharply retorted: “I am a politician and I oppose any foreign citizen calling one of my cities by a Turkish or Azerbaijani name. I must uphold a politician’s ethics.”
When reminded that he had previously referred to the region as “Artsakh,” Simonyan conceded, “I was making a mistake.” This response only fueled further criticism, with opponents accusing him of deliberately downplaying the importance of the name “Artsakh” to appease Azerbaijan.
Simonyan’s statements sparked immediate outrage, particularly from those directly affected by Azerbaijan’s full-scale military assault. Former Artsakh Human Rights Defender, Gegham Stepanyan, strongly condemned Simonyan’s remarks, emphasizing that the people of Artsakh fought bravely despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned, and rejecting Simonyan’s suggestion that they did not put up enough resistance.
“In response to the National Assembly speaker, one can cite numerous facts of struggle and self-sacrifice, but all of that is meaningless when we are dealing with immorality, meanness and cynicism on a cosmic level,” Stepanyan wrote on Facebook.
Opposition MP Kristine Vardanyan responded to Simonyan’s remarks by highlighting the extraordinary resistance of Artsakh’s armed forces and civilians, who faced severe shortages and overwhelming military force from Azerbaijan. Vardanyan pointed out that Artsakh residents endured a nine-month blockade—marked by hunger, cold and continuous shelling—before being forced to flee as Azerbaijani forces closed in on Stepanakert.
“Within hours, the Artsakh Armenians killed at least 203 Azerbaijani soldiers and wounded over 500 others. This figure is five times the official average number of Azerbaijani soldiers killed on a daily basis during the 2020 war. This is how they fought,” Vardanyan said during a parliamentary session.
Her remarks underscored the sacrifices made by Artsakh citizens, many of whom lost family members. “Who were they burying on that last day? Who were they burying when they didn’t even know how to transport their fallen?” Vardanyan asked.
Azerbaijan’s September 2023 attack resulted in the mass displacement of over 100,000 Armenians from Artsakh. Many displaced individuals have expressed frustration with the Armenian government’s handling of the crisis and its ongoing engagement with Azerbaijan. Human rights groups, including Freedom House, have concluded that the Azerbaijani regime engaged in ethnic cleansing against the Armenian population of Artsakh.
Moreover, Simonyan’s remarks have raised questions about the Armenian government’s stance on Artsakh’s future. Former Artsakh President, Samvel Shahramanyan, strongly condemned Simonyan’s comments, calling for a public apology to the displaced people of Artsakh and urging him to refrain from making such disparaging remarks.
Shahramanyan added that the people of Artsakh did everything in their power to stay in their historical homeland, despite the intense pressure and hardships. “The people of Artsakh fought for their survival. They endured a nine-month blockade and faced full-scale military aggression,” he stated. “However, Simonyan’s remarks are an attempt to dishonor the heroism of the Artsakh people and their leadership, and to distract from the broader issues of political and diplomatic failures that led to their displacement.”
Beyond Artsakh, Simonyan also addressed ongoing negotiations with Azerbaijan during the press briefing. He expressed concern over Azerbaijan’s lack of response to Armenia’s peace proposals, calling it “worrisome.” While reaffirming Armenia’s commitment to peace, he noted that Azerbaijan’s continued refusal to engage in discussions has hindered progress. He added that Armenia would not grant Azerbaijan an extraterritorial corridor but remained willing to allow unhindered cargo transit through the Syunik region.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan published an article this week in Armenpress, addressing the growing claims within Azerbaijan that Armenia is preparing for war. Pashinyan dismissed these allegations, stating that Armenia has no intention of launching an attack.
“The Republic of Armenia is committed to the strategic agreement reached in Prague on October 6, 2022, under which Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he wrote.
Pashinyan also highlighted that Armenia does not seek to regain Azerbaijani-occupied sovereign Armenian territory through military means, arguing that the border demarcation process offers a “real and substantive possibility” to resolve these issues.
Regarding Armenia’s military reforms, Pashinyan stated, “The Republic of Armenia is reforming its army to defend its internationally recognized territorial integrity,” reiterating that Armenia has no plans to attack Azerbaijan. However, he pointed out that Azerbaijan’s rhetoric and actions—including the “Western Azerbaijan” narrative and increasing militarization—pose security threats to Armenia.
Outlining the peace process, Pashinyan stated, “The solutions are on the table.” He reiterated Armenia’s proposal for mutual arms control and mechanisms for joint investigations into border incidents, emphasizing that “there is no basis for escalation and all prerequisites for peace have been established.”
Azerbaijan’s government quickly dismissed Pashinyan’s statements as baseless and misleading. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ayhan Hajizadeh, instead accused Armenia of militarization, pointing to Armenia’s rising military expenditures— from $600 million in 2024 to $1.6 billion. Hajizadeh, however, failed to mention that Azerbaijan’s defense budget is set to reach $5 billion in 2025.
Hoory Minoyan
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Traitor!
It’s a good thing NATO ally, Turkey, and NATO gas supplier, Azerbaijan, stood for human rights.
Armenians can definitely trust NATO countries to uphold principles of human rights… (SARCASM)
What is even worse for the Artsakhis than the loss of their homeland and their homes, is that the government of traitors led by the archtraitor Pashinyan, has abandoned them, given up on them and left them to fend for themselves.
Whilst some made a heroic last stand. Arktash was doomed once the 2020 Russia brokered ceasefire left them in a helpless position. The blockade by Azerbaijan in violation and no Berlin airlift nor Sarajevo siege relief from the useless Russian peacekeepers left the people with no real saviour. Say Gaza utterly devastated has the spotlight of attention Arktash in a more out of the way part of the world wasn’t going to get anything like the level of attention.
Ah yes, because according to Alen the Artsakhtsis were meant to stay put and get bombed to oblivion, imprisoned or otherwise brutalized by a much better equipped, more numerous horde of Godless savages.
How the hell is this guy a politician? How can you say anyone “chose” to leave in those circumstances? What a joke…
Simonyan is more Politician than he is, Armenian. Armenia’s misfortune is that the country has suffered too many of the Politician variety and there’s little energy or means to alter
that condition
The current government of Armenia an enemy of Armenians worldwide. Pashinyan, Simonyan, the whole lot of them constantly parroting Turkish/Azeri propaganda because they have the naive hope of a “peace deal” despite all evidence showing AZ isn’t interested in peace. Throw these traitors out already before it is too late!
I wish this article had included the fact that Allen Simonyan said that he was referring to about 10 Artsakh leader when he said that they could have stayed and fought, and he was not talking about the entire population of Artsakh.
I appreciate your attempt for whitewashing the traitor, but your claim I possess factuality sooner than it opposes Armenia’s traitorous government. Watch the video and listen to simonyan’s unfortunate remarks. You’ll hear the pronoun “YOU CHOSE TO LEAVE” as he angrily attacks the Artsakh journalist. “YoI” can certainly not referring to “ten Artsakh leaders”, not one of whom was in the room.
I possess = OPPOSES*
At the end of the day, let’s not forget that Mr. Pashinyan represents the democratic will of the Armenian people. Armenia is now a “Westernized” country with “European” aspirations. Remember? Therefore, please show the duly-elected leader of Armenia some respect, as he is the Western-financed and Turkish-led political activist a clear majority of our “people”, both in the homeland and in the diaspora, wanted to lead Armenia not only in 2018 but also in 2020, 2021 and 2023. And in 2024, Bishop Bagratyan proved finally that the Armenian people don’t want change. Respect the “democratic” wish of the “people”. If you naysayers believe in “people power”, “democracy”, “westernization” and “the American way”, stop your constant complaining and start supporting Mr. Pashinyan in his historic mission, a mission he was given a mandate for by the “people”.
PS: I would really like to see Russia cut-off all financial, economic and energy ties with Armenia (the only thing keeping the remote, landlocked and impoverished nation afloat) and take its troops stationed on Armenia’s border with Turkey (the only thing keeping NATO-member Turkey out of Armenia) back to Russia. Sometimes you just have to let a terminally ill patient die (ala Kevorkian)…
It is concerning when a reporter poses provocative, unrealistic questions to an Armenian official, but it is even more problematic when such questions are asked with apparent malice.
Alen’s responses were neither appropriate nor diplomatic, and the persistent, badgering follow-up questions were not only unrealistic but also nonsensical.
Moreover, the Armenian government does not possess the leverage to free the Artsakh leadership – who were arrested under the watch of Russian peacekeepers – nor does it have the means to resettle Artsakh Armenians which is occupied by Azerbaijan.
Therefore, why direct such provocative questions at the Armenian government? Instead, this anger and frustration should be aimed at the Russian government, which has repeatedly failed in its “peacekeeping” obligations.
It was under the shameful failure and deliberate inaction of Russian “peacekeepers” that Artsakh’s residents and leaders were abandoned to their fate. It was under Russia’s watch that Vardanyan and others were arrested, and sham trials began. The Russian Federation, which failed in its supposed duty to safeguard Artsakh, must be held accountable.